Automobile heating, ventilating, and window defrosting system



bee. 27, 1949 J. L. STINNETT AUTOMOBILE HEATING, VENTILATING AND WINDOW DEFROS'IING SYSTEM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 20, 1946 T 0 t H w. Z

Dec. 27, 1949 .1. STINNETT AUTOMOBILE HEATING, VENTILATING AND WINDOW DEFROSTING SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 20, 1946 n H I.

I Inventor 226762272 ezzr Jam Q6 WW Z2 M158 Dec. 27, 1949 J. L. STINNETT 2,492,506

AUTOMOBILE HEATING, VENTILATING AND WINDOW DEFROSTING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 20, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Wm me. R R n an FRONT llmmim Ill 22 9 (29 en FRO I )1 rel/tor JamLSJISiz'nneZ&

MM E/nzg Patented Dec. 27,1949

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMOBILE HEATING, VENTILATING, AND WINDOW DEFROSTING SYSTEM James L. Stinnett, en age, 111.

Application September 20, 1946, Serial No. 698,266

This invention relates to a heating, ventilating and window defrosting system for passenger motor cars having enclosed bodies.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system of the above kind whereby either heated or unheated air may be taken from outside the automobile body and distributed to a plurality of points within such body for evenly heating or ventilating the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a system of the above kind whereby heated air may be directed across the surfaces of the body, door and windshield windows of the automobile for effectively defrosting said windows in cold weather.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a system of the above kind which is comparatively simple, easy and economical to manufacture and install, and. easy and convenient to control from the drivers seat. I

Other and more specific objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of an automobile having the present invention applied thereto, parts'being broken away and in section.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, parts being broken away and in section.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing the air manifold housing, blower and adjacent parts.

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5-5 of Figure 3. I

Figure 6 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the instrument panel, showing the arrangement of control elements.

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken substantially on line 1-1 of Figure 2 adjacent one of the front door hinges.

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing one of the unheated air inlet pipes and its intake funnel.

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on line 9-9 of Figure 1.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 9 taken on line |-||l of Figure 2, and

Figures 11 and 12 are views similar to Figure 10 taken respectively on line and |2-|2 of Figure 2.

Referring in detail to the drawings, indicates the body, 6 the dash, I the instrument panel, 8 the engine hood, 9 the engine, and II! the radiator of an automobile of the standard two-door sedan type. The body has front doors rear doors l2, a front windshield I3, back and side rear body windows l4 and I5, and sliding win- 2 Claims. (Cl. 98-'-2) dows l6 and H for the front and rear doors I I and I2 respectively. Arranged withinthe body are the usual front and rear seats I8 and I9, respectively.

As shown, the present invention includes an air manifold housing 20 having two bottom air inlets 2| and 22 and a plurality of air outlets 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively controlled by shut-ofi valves 21, 28, 29 and 30. The air outlets rise from the top of a dome 3| which communicates with the outlet of a fan blower 32 whose fan is driven by an electric motor 33, the side inlets of the blower 32 communicating with the lower portion of housing 20 as shown clearly in Figure 3. A manually operable valve 34 is provided for selectively admitting air to the housing 20 from the desired one of the inlets 2| and 22. As shown, this valve may comprise a horizontal rotary disc rotatably fitted in a lower portion of the housing 20 and rotatably adjustable by means of a flexible shaft 35 extended to an operating stem 36 extended through'and journalled in the panel I. The valve disc 34 has openings 31 which are selectively registrable with the inlets 2| and 22. Also, the valves 21, 28, 29 and 30 have operating stems which extend through the panel 1, and it will thus be apparent that the valves are within convenient reach of the driver occupying the front seat l8. Also, the motor 33 is controlled by a suitable switch mounted on the panel I and having an operating stem equipped with a handle or knob 38 asshown in Figure 6, the stem of said switch extending through the panel I for convenient actuation of the switch by the driver of the automobile.

Means is provided to supply heated air to the inlet 2| from outside the body 5, which means preferably consists of a stove 39 associated with the exhaust manifold of engine 9 and having an outlet pipe 40 connected to the inlet 2|. Means is also provided to supply unheated air to the air inlet 22 from outside the vehicle body, the same including ducts4| which extend forwardly on either side of the engine 9 and radiator l0 and terminate at their forward ends in intake funnels 42, the rear ends of said ducts 4| being connected by a pipe 43 that connects with the inlet 22. Thus, valve 34 may be adjusted to admit'air eitherfrom the pipe 40 or pipe 43, de-

pending upon whether it is desired to heat the interior of the automobile body and to defrost the windows, or toinerely ventilate the same. Fresh air is forced, by reason of the forward movement of the vehicle to and through housing 20, but the supply may be increased by throwing the blower into operation.

Air discharge nozzles 44 and 45 for directing 7 jets of air across the inner surfaces of the rear body windows I4 and I5, are connected by a pipe 46 and branches 41 to the outlet 25. Other air The pipesAQ-andfill must pass the hinged-sides 5 of the front doors II, and to provide for this in flexible sections 5| which pass around the pivot 52 of the door hinge 53 and folldwthalt -partofthe latter which is fastened to the door (Fig '7)? 1 Obviously, this flexible section 5| permits open--- ing and closing of the door without interfering with the flow of air to the nozzles '48" and without damage to the pipe sections 5|. Still anothen.

a practical manner, said pipes 49 and 50 haven air discharge nozzle 54 301 directing air across the inner surfacetof the windshield: window 13 is connected by a pipe 55 with the outlet 24, the nozzle 54 being vertically positionedatthe center of the windshield window and adapted-to dis shown in Figure 11. While thenozzles are shown as separate elements suitably mounted in" place, they may be Special mouldings-for-the windows as is generally well-known in the Part.

In operation, upon forward travel of the auto-v mobile, unheated air from outsidethe automobile" body will be directed into the pipes Alloy their funnels42, and thisunheated. airrmayv be discharged into the automobile body through the several nozzles or any selected one or more thereof by adjusting the valve 34' tothe position shown in Figure 4 and suitably'manipulatin'g the valves for the air outlets 23,24) 25am 26; Heating may be accomplished in the same way .by adjusting valve 34 from the position of Figure 4 to the po-' sition thereof wherein the inlet 22is closed and the inlet 2| is open, heated airbe'in'g then de rived from pipe 40 and stove 39: The valves in the air outlets of dome 3| 'may be adjusted to control the volume of air supplied, and it "-will'be one of said inlets, a motor operated fan blower mounted in said housing for forcibly discharging the air from said housing through any of said outlets -which are opened, air discharge, nozzles for directing jets-of air across the inner'surfaces of the rear body windows of the automobile connected to one of said air outlets, other air discharge nozzles for respectively directing air .acrosslthe inner surfaces of the left and right front door windows of the automobile respectively-connected to other separate ones of said air outlets, still another air discharge nozzle for directing air across the inner surface of the windshield window of the automobile connected to the remaining one of said air outlets, and means: for controlling the blower-operating motor.

2. A heating, ventilating and window defroste; ingtsystem .for automobiles of the closed type,

charge laterally at opposite -sidesthereof .as .20, comprising an air manifoldhousing mounted.be-..

neath the cow-i of the automobile, saidmanifold having two bottom air inlets'and four topyalv-e. controlled air outlets, a motor operated fan blower disposed within said housing for dischargev -ing air from the-latter: through said airoutlets,

means for controlling the blower operatingmotor, the controlling valves of the ainoutletst and the controlling means for the blower operate ing motor being provided with'manipulating-eleements adjacent the instrument board of theve hicle for convenient actuation byhthe driver of the automobile, means tosupply hot air-to-.one-- of saidair inlets from outside the automobile bo y means to supply unheated'air tolthe-other-w ofsaid air inlets from outside the automobilebodygeaa single...manually .operable. rotary disk valve mounted in the bottom of said. housing having. ports selectively registrablewi-th-the respective air inlets for selectively admitting air tusaida housing from the desired. one ofsaid inlets said last named valve-having a manipulating-element:- adjacent the instrument board andwithinreachv of thedriver, air discharge-nozzles for directing jets of air across the inner surfaces of-n-the .rearr is discharged from the nozzles, it will icause the 45,,b0dy, windowsvconnected to o of,said

windows to be defrosted in cold weather because J the hot air is directed across the inner surfaces of said windows. Duringheatin'g and defrosting. or ventilation, the blower is preferablylin operation so that the air is'fo'rcibl'y supplied to" the lets, other air dischargenozzles for respectively; directing air across the inner surfaces ofa-the left: and right front door windows of the automobile respectively connected to other separate onessof said air outlets, and still another air dischargetr nozzle for; directing air acrossthe inner surface of the windshield window connectedv to cthe. re maining one of said air outlets;

JAMES L.,- STINNE'IZ'IE;

stood and appreciated inth art. Minor changes are contemplated such'as fall 'within the scope ofthe invention as claimed."

What I claim is:

1. In an automobile of the closed' type, an air,

manifold housing having two bottom. airinlets' so,

and four top valve controlled air outlets, means to-supply hot air to one of said air inlets, means to supply unheated air to. the other of-said air' inlets from outside the vehicle body, .a single manually operable rotary'disk valve in the bottom" 5,,

of said housing having ports'selectiv'ely registrable with the respective air'inlets for selectively? admitting air to said housingfrom the desired REFERENCES CITED w The following references are of" record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS" 

